A hearing in the House grew heated Tuesday as legislators and industry representatives debated the merits of ending the prohibition.

Cornejo, R-St. Peters, said the bill would be a step toward a freer market in Missouri.

The bill was supported by the Missouri Broadcasters Association and the Missouri Press Association. The groups represent television, radio and newspaper outlets that stand to benefit from extra advertising opportunities.

It's also backed by Total Wine and More, a destination big box booze broker with three Missouri locations near St. Louis.

Edward Cooper, vice president of public affairs for Total Wine, tried to assure the House Committee on General Laws that "discounts don't make people drink" and that the Maryland-based company was "the most responsible retailer in the country."

Rep. Jean Evans, R-Manchester, pushed back at the latter assertion, and Cooper replied that after millions of transactions, they had only been cited 13 times for selling alcohol to minors. Evans pointed out that the company may have sold alcohol to minors any number of times without being caught.

Opposing the bill were several representatives from smaller, Missouri-based liquor stores, including Springfield-based Brown Derby.

The general thrust of the small stores' argument was that were this bill to become law, bigger stores with bigger advertising budgets (like Total Wine) would be able to outspend smaller competitors, with the same effect on local liquor stores that Walmart had on mom-and-pop groceries.

Barry Horn, a Springfield native whose 36-year-career in local liquor sales led him to Lee's Summit, urged the committee to "look out for the small guy" whose "pockets aren't as deep."